Working with Melisa was one of the best decisions I made during the MBA application process. Applying to MBA programs is no walk in the park, and I truly appreciated her guidance every step of the way, from helping me identify the right schools for my goals, crafting an authentic yet compelling story in my essays, to deciding which school to attend.

She provided thoughtful, strategic advice throughout my application process, yet always empowered me to make the final decision, never pressuring me towards a choice I wasn’t comfortable with. While the process felt long and, at times, overwhelming, Melisa was a constant source of support and encouragement. I always felt she genuinely cared about me and was invested in my success.

Thanks to her support, I was accepted to multiple programs with scholarships, including my top choice. I’m incredibly grateful for her help and wholeheartedly recommend working with her!

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Susan went above and beyond my expectations of an MBA consultant going into this process. She is a true professional, and her and the team at Stratus are exceptional. She added so much value to my application, helping me explore my past experiences to shape my key themes, create a strategy for my application, brainstorm essay content, update and refine my resume, and prepare for my interview. She also encouraged me to submit a late application to my top school, and I ended up getting into my top MBA program a year earlier than I thought I would! I am so grateful for Susan and all the help she gave me in helping me achieve my MBA goals.

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Working with Donna was one of the most enjoyable and most valuable parts of my MBA application journey.

Donna was extremely helpful from day one! We started with her self-discovery phase, which helped me more deeply understand myself, my needs, and my aspirations. She has a very well-structured process that guides you to reflect on what drives you and why you really want to do an MBA. The learnings I gained from that part of the process were actually valuable beyond the MBA applications, helping me think more broadly about my career and long-term goals.

In terms of essay writing, Donna again has a structured process that really works (you can tell she is extremely experienced and has been doing it for years). She starts with an essay outline that is thoroughly reviewed and discussed before moving into writing drafts. Donna's use of Stratus’s broader network of school experts was also incredibly valuable. She connected me with people who knew my target programs inside out, which helped me tailor my essays and give them that extra edge - that was a game changer for me!

Donna and Stratus’s resume update support was also extremely valuable. They are incredibly thorough, paying attention to even the smallest details and when all those refinements come together, I truly believe they make a big difference in the final result. Again, I came away with many broader learnings that I’ll carry forward when updating my resume in the future.

Be aware that this whole process is hard work. But this is another area where Donna really adds value as she keeps you on track with well-thought-out deadlines and an easy way to manage and track progress. She also properly holds you accountable, which really helps keep momentum. I always felt like there was a solid plan in place, and that made a big difference.

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Working with Donna through Stratus on a four-school package was the best decision I made during the MBA application process. From day one, she helped me navigate every aspect of the journey — from refining my resume and building a thoughtful school selection strategy to tackling essays and preparing for interviews. Her guidance made the process far more manageable, especially when it came to understanding the unknowns of the application and interview process.

For the essays, Donna pushed me to reflect deeply on my experiences and helped shape them into compelling, cohesive narratives aligned with my goals. We went through six or more drafts for all four schools I worked on with Donna, and her detailed feedback helped me elevate each version.

It was also extremely reassuring to know that the four-school package included Round 2 support if needed. Having that safety net gave me the confidence to give my all in Round 1.

In the end, I was fortunate to have strong options, and Donna was a steady, supportive sounding board as I weighed my final decision. When I visited one of the schools I was accepted to, Donna went above and beyond — giving me a personalized tour of the town and even offering me a ride to the airport. That experience highlights the level of care and commitment she brings to her work.

I’m truly grateful for her insight, responsiveness, and unwavering support throughout the process — it made all the difference.

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Working with Jennifer Jackson at Stratus was crucial as an older, non-traditional MBA candidate planning a significant career pivot. The most helpful part of working with Jennifer, and the Stratus approach more broadly, was all the preparation we did before starting the application. Stratus understands that MBA applications require significant introspection; Jennifer really helped me dig deep, and it was clear she was genuinely invested in my success. Without Jennifer's help, I firmly believe my outcome would have been different. I highly recommend Jennifer and Stratus to anyone considering pursuing an MBA and believe that Stratus is well worth the investment.

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Strengths:

Timely feedback, supportive, pushed me to dive deeper into my story, provided insightful suggestions that enhanced my overall applications!

Donna made a huge difference in my application journey. She was very thorough with her suggestions and straightforward when she felt like my story wasn't strong enough. She pushed me to think deeper in my past experiences and made personalized suggestions on which schools/programs are the best fit for me and my career goals. I ended up getting into a very unique M7 program that I am thrilled to be attending in a few months!!
The team-based approach Stratus has was also very unique and I feel supported throughout my experience. While Donna had been with me every step of my application journey, I was advised and motivated by Susan and a few other experienced consultants based on the schools I applied to.

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Strengths:

The customizable options for application support and the ease of scheduling with your chosen consultant.

Working with Sophie made the whole process feel like more than just an application. Her background as a veteran and outdoor enthusiast created our initial connection, but her supportive and positive attitude solidified my desire to work with her. Sophie went above and beyond - coaching and mentoring me through not only the applications, but also helping me refine my life goals. Sophie was always available to answer questions, help review essays and provide overall support. The whole Stratus team was easy to work with and provided thoughtful encouragement throughout my applications. I have no doubt working with Sophie directly contributed to my success with multiple admission and scholarship offers.

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Strengths:

- Incredibly thorough
- Highly knowledgeable about nuances of the application process and school specific processes
- Very personal - always felt like a priority and never felt as though they took on too many clients
- Proofreader and school specific readers were very helpful

I cannot recommend Donna and Stratus enough. When starting my application, I was really in the dark, and knew very little of how the process worked and I had a good, but not spectacular profile so I was really looking for somebody who primarily could lead me through the process and help me put together the best application.

Not only did Donna serve as the perfect guide, she really helped me flesh out my story, but she actually strengthened my interest in attending business school in general. When I started out, I knew I was interested in the MBA experience and wanted to change career paths, but wouldn't have been able to succinctly explain why; however, by the time I was through my introspection and strategy exercises, I felt not only prepared, be more excited about the opportunity than ever.

The piece of my application Donna most improved was the essays. Her story writing ability is incredible and she was very patient as we wrote and rewrote, edited, and revised, over and over, creating dozens of iterations of my essays in the process. If I am being honest, there is no chance the essays I initially wrote would have gotten an acceptance at any of the schools I applied to.

Above all else though, the thing about Donna that I believe truly sets her apart from any other consultant is how much she cares. I first noticed it when she would casually remember aspects of my life totally separate from my application or her connecting me with former clients, but it carried over throughout the whole process, right to the end when she pulled in favors on a day off to get an essay and resume proofread so that I could still apply on time after I had misunderstood a deadline.

I would not have had the successful admissions results that I did without Donna and I cannot thank her enough for her guidance and support.

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Strengths:

Personalized service

I highly recommend Susan Cera to anyone looking to boost their chances of getting into a top business school. From the start, she took the time to understand my academic background, work experience, and community involvement to build a strong foundation for my applications. As my story evolved, she helped me craft a tailored strategy for each of the three schools I applied to.

Susan was incredibly patient as I refined my resume, guiding me on how to shape it for business school admissions rather than just a future employer. She was also instrumental in helping me push through writer’s block during the essay process. When it came time for interviews, she arranged Zoom mock sessions for each school, which made a huge difference in my confidence and preparation.

With her guidance, I was accepted to all three M7 schools I applied to. Beyond her expertise, Susan genuinely cares about her clients and is a true professional. I can’t recommend her enough!

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Strengths:

Susan Cera was remarkable in helping me reflect on the exercises, helping me work through essays, and providing ad hoc advice throughout the process.

Would make the product better:

Maybe I should be more direct about asking for candid feedback, I think sometimes Susan was very accomodating to what I wanted versus what I needed.

Working with Susan Cera at Stratus for admissions consulting was one of the best decisions I made. From our very first interaction, her kindness and genuine care stood out. Navigating the admissions process can be overwhelming, but Susan had an incredible ability to break everything down into manageable steps, making the experience far less stressful.

Her expertise in admissions consulting was evident throughout. Susan not only helped me craft a compelling narrative but also provided insightful feedback that elevated my application to the next level. She had a remarkable way of understanding my unique strengths and helping me present them in the best possible light.

Beyond her professional expertise, Susan’s warmth and encouragement were truly invaluable. She believed in me even when I had moments of doubt, and her support kept me motivated and confident. I felt like I had a true partner in the process who was genuinely invested in my success.

I can’t recommend Susan highly enough. Her combination of kindness, strategic insight, and unwavering support made all the difference for me. She was truly fantastic, and I’m so grateful for her guidance!

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